What I learned about blogging

I have been blogging sporadically for several years. That is the most important thing I have learned about blogging. Consistency.

Life happens. I have moved across country, got married, changed jobs, got promoted, bought a house, attended a wedding, a funeral, and so much more. All of those events would have been great to blog about. However, there is something about blogging and privacy. Being familiar with the web and internet a little bit, I know it is a permanent record. People blog about software, about ideas, about their life, about their meals, etc…

We try to focus on a single topic. I want to create a "tech blog" or a "food blog" or a… But a blog is just that, a web version of a log. It isn't a book, it may not fit in a given category… but everyone wants to say that "Oh, you are a web developer"… I'm also a husband, an animal lover, a food lover, a pseudo-dancer, a deep thinker, and many other things. Should I not share multiple parts of my life, or should I only focus on one area of my life.

So what makes a blog great? Why does a blog have to be something? Why can't it just be what it is? I think the concept of a "great" blog is the same as saying a great song, a great painting, or a great photograph. It is up to the individual reading it. I know I will have people who read my blog who think I just blabber about nothing. I have people who read this who are just bored and accidentally stumbled on it. I have people who intentionally follow me and are expecting something…

Blogging is something different to everyone. If you have an expectation, or want to hear an opinion on something, you have to communicate, and with all the technology out there, twitter, email, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc… you should be able to communicate your expectations.

It is that communication that helps me to generate content that you want, connect with my readers, and come up with new topics that you want to hear about.

Summary: Blogging is about the reader. Communicate your expectations. Be consistent (daily, weekly, monthly). Love what you do and just keep writing.

So if you are expecting a more technical blog, I'll probably have that. If you are expecting a more personal blog, I'll probably have that. If you want to know what is exciting going on here, I'll hopefully have that too!

Thanks for stopping by.